Deep Cut Gardens

Deep Cut Gardens is a county park in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. In 1890, the sheriff of Middletown took over the Deep Cut property and sold the 35+ acres to the Dangler family, which constructed a colonial revival mansion in 1928. In 1935, the American Mafia boss Vito Genovese purchased the property and re-fashioned the grounds in the Neapolitan style, and Theodore Stout was given free rein in creating the property's gardens. The majestic project was cut short when Genovese fled to Italy in 1937, and an unexplained fire destroyed the mansion that same year. In 1953, the Wihtol family rebuilt the mansion, and they renovated the greenhouse and worked on the gardens. In 1977, Marjorie Wihtol donated half of the property to the Monmouth County Park System for horticultural purposes, and the Park System purchased the rest of the property with Green Acres funds. On 14 September 1978, the park was dedicated, and its acreage was expanded.